Egg-case



`(No Model.)

Witnesses.

. KM/ @Vw ffm H. C HERR.l BGGOASE.

Patented Nov.l 13, 1-894.

Y Hw. Inventor.`

By JM @ya -ltomey- UNITEDA STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. HERR, OF WILLIAMSVILLE, YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERI- CAN EGG CASE COMPANY, OF PORT HURON, MICHIGAN.

lEGG-CASE.l

SPECIFICATION forming pert'ef Lettere Patent No. 529,173, dated November 13, 1894.

Application tiled June 18,1894Y Serial No. 514,839. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, itA may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. HERE, a citizen of the United States, residing in William'sville, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

M y invention relates to that class of egg cases made of paper, straw-board, or other 1o similar material, in'which a'separate case is provided for each egg, and the invention consists, in certain improvements whereby it is not liable to come apart after having once been put together, either when folding for packing and transportation, or when unpacking and beingopened out or used, and it will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed reference being had to the accompanyin'g drawings', inv which-'- Figure 1, represents a side elevation of a portion of the male strip, showing the shape of the single opening therein.

male strip Aand the form of the openings therein. Fig. 3, represents a horizontal section on or about line a a, Figs. l and2, showing the position of the parts while the two portions are being put together. Fig. et, represents a similar horizontal section, showing 3c the position ofthe two portions when the interlocking parts are in their proper place in a completed egg case. Fig. 5, is also a similar horizontal section,'representing the two parts after once being put together, as folded up for packing or transportation, showingpalso` the position of the connecting or locking` parts, while in/that condition. Fig. 6, represents a plan view of a completed egg case,

showing the diamond shape of the case when 4o the cross strips are being put in place, which shape is required to permit the parts to enter,

as will more clearly. appear farther on. Fig.

7, represents a perspective view of a portion of an egg-case put together, showing more clearly the position of the locking parts. Fig.

8, represents a top or plan view of a completed egg case, when all parts are securely locked in place.

Referring to the drawings in detail, l, represents a portion of the male strip. It is provided with a tapering opening 2, in the side l Fig.2,isav similar elevatlon, showinga portion of a feextending straight at a right angle inward throughthe narrow opening 3, which is continued in an oblique direction to the point 4, and from thence 4back in the opposite direc- 55 tion, to the point 5, thereby leaving a substantially triangular opening 6, and a hook shaped projection 7.

In the complete strip for an egg case,there are seven of the openings above described, 6o which would make a case for holding three dozen eggs, but this-number may be varied to correspond with the size of the egg case required to be made. The female strip 8, shown in Fig. 2, is also provided with a taper- 6 5 ing opening 9, which extends into and terminates in an elongated narrow opening l0.

Beyond the opening 10, is another opening similar to an H turned over on itsside, thereby leaving the two projecting tongues 1l and 12. 7o The ends of these are shown square but they may be made semi-circular it desired, substantially as shown by the dotted lines 13, in Fig. 2.

These egg cases while being put together, are placed in the form of a diamond, a special device being used of that form for that purpose, so that the rst strips 8, (the female strips) see Fig. 6, are arranged parallel with each other, but in the form of a diamond. The 8o male strips l, are then put in place and are also placed parallel with each other but in a diamond form as shown in Fig. 6, being put down so -that the opening 9, enters the opening 2, and passes down until the hook 7, comes against one of the tongues, the tongue l2, in this instance, substantially as shown in Fig.

3. When in this position, the egg case is in an incomplete condition because the hook portions 7, of the male strips do not engage v'9o with the openings in the female strips as they are in the position substantially as shown in Fig. 3. Consequently the male strips can be easily withdrawn from the female strips, the connecting parts not being in their required positions.

When it is desired to complete the eggcase so that the parts cannot be separated or pulled apart without tearing them, all that is re# quired to be done is to take it by the two corroo y ners e e, for instance, see Fig. 6, and pull them apart until in the position shown in Fig.

8, which will bring all the hook portions 7, in between the projecting tongues 11 and 12, or into the opening 10, substantially as shown in Fig. 4. This operation willbe more clearly understood by reference to Fig. 3, in which the strips are shown in a position obliquely to eachother, in which position the point of the hook 7 rests against the side of the tongue 12, and it is obvious that if the strips be brought into the position or form shown in Fig. 4, or in Figs. 7 and 8, the points of the hook 7, and the tongue 12, will pass each other so that the hook will spring into the opening l0, thereby locking th"`e strips all securely together.

When once in place, as in Fig. 4, the strips cannot be separated by ordinary usage without breakingthe hooks 7. Even when folded fiat, together, see Fig. 5, they will not separate, as will be readily apparent.

From the above construction it will be seen that the strips could not be entered together while they were at right angles to each other as in Figs. 4 or S, without injury to the hooks 7, and it will be further seen that the two tongues 1l and 12, are an important feature in this construction as it is by their elasticity that the egg case can be put together in the way described without injury to any of its parts, and so that when once put together in that way it cannot be separated by ordinary usage, or without tearing the locking parts.

I am aware that egg cases have been heretofore made in which the male strips are provided with angular openings having hook portions, and the female strips provided with a series of openings extending inward from the edge of said strips, and with a secondseries of openings closed on all sides, and adapted to engage with the hooks when the two series of' strips are put together as in the Patent No. 203,356, granted to John H. McCarren, May 7, 1878.

I am also aware that it is not broadly new to use two series of strips having interlocking perforations and hooks, and assembling the two series in relatively inclined positions or at right angles, or nearly so, while connecting them together to form an egg case as this has long been done as will be seen by reference to the above patent. I therefore do not claim such construction broadly, but

What I do claim is- 1. In an egg case, apartition or male strip 1, having a flaring inlet opening which terminates in anarrow opening extending into and partly around a hook portion, in combination with a female strip provided with a flaring inlet opening terminating in a long narrow opening, and an inclosed opening having two projecting tongues their ends facing each other, in which the hook portion engages, for the purposes described.

2. In an egg case, the combination with a series of male strips arranged parallel with each other, each having inlet openings extending from the edges of the strips inward and partly surrounding the hook portions, ot' a series of female strips, arranged at right angles to the male strips; each having inlet openings extending inward, and openings in which the hook portions engage, each having two tongues projecting toward each other but leaving room enough for the hooks to enter, substantially as described.

3. The within described mode of making egg cases, which consists in iirst, arranging a series of female strips parallel with each other, each strip being provided with a series of entering openings, and a series of substam tially H shaped openings having yielding tongues extending toward each other with an opening between them, then placing in and diagonally across said entering openings a parallel series of male strips each provided with a4 series of entering openings inclosing hook portion and forcing them together until the hooks rest sidewise against the sides of the yielding tongues in the female strips, then causing said hooks to yield and spring by the ends of the yielding tongues into the opening between them, by extending the narrow portion of the egg case s o as to bring the male and felnale strips at right angles to each other or nearly so and thereby permanently interlock them, substantially asl described.

HENRY C. HERR.

Witnesses:

JAMES SANGsrEn, L. M. SPONG. 

